Harry Wilson | |
---|---|
Born | London, England | 22 November 1897
Died | 6 September 1978 | (aged 80)
Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 1928–1965 |
Relatives | Shauna Bloom (granddaughter) |
Harry Wilson (22 November 1897 – 6 September 1978) was a British character actor who appeared in over 300 films[citation needed] from 1928 to 1965 and proudly proclaimed himself "Hollywood's ugliest man".[1]
His distinctive facial features and voice (often said to be the result of acromegaly, a disorder of the pituitary gland, although they do not fully meet the criteria) often led to him being cast as various henchmen, thugs, convicts and brawlers. His best-known roles include a Winkie Guard in The Wizard of Oz (1939); the female monster in Frankenstein's Daughter (1958); and together with Mike Mazurki, the henchman of George Raft's "Spats Colombo" in Some Like It Hot (1959).
In 1961, in a credited role, he appeared as a townsman in the TV Western series Bat Masterson (S3E18 "The Prescott Campaign").
For over fifteen years Wilson was a stand-in for Wallace Beery, and he is the grandfather of actress Shauna Bloom.
Wilson died in 1978, aged 80.